Stuart Smalley Wins!

Al Franken has won the Minnesota Democratic Senator seat by 312 votes to Republican incumbent Norman Cole.

Cole is not going down without a fight, sending the vote count to federal courts so that even more taxpayer dollars head down the drain.

Are politicians the new celebrity?  Other than Dancing with the Stars comebacks and Twitter-rama, the allure of Brangelina has lost its sheen with reality TV and Obamamania.

Franken had his last stint as a lame-duck comedian during the Presidential election.

Incidentally, it's impossible to find any video clips of Al Franken as Stuart Smalley on the Internet, which is disappointing.  That's a remnant of pop culture the Franken team is erasing!  And what's wrong with starting a career in politics at SNL?  Surely it's important to have a sense of humor; just ask George Bush Jr.

National Poetry Month

As it is National Poetry Month, if you are not aware of it already, there is something called the "six-word meme", or memoir.  Here is a book trailer from SMITHmag's latest collection of memes:

Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak from SMITHmag on Vimeo.

It's difficult to write a poem in six words and remain succinct.  This is mine:  Caught cold at work, weekend obliterated.

The Obamas' New Puppy

Senator Ted Kennedy has found a puppy for the Obamas. Super-cute. It's even wearing a lei.

The State Returns!

Finally,  The State is set for DVD release on Bastille Day.  Posted below is a hilarious skit from back in the day when it was on MTV.  Not my favorite, but the best that I could locate on YouTube: 

The Plight of the Journalist

L.A. Citybeat's pages are fluttering closed after its last issue, which featured L.A.'s hottest bands at SXSW in about three pages of coverage.  The dread must have been impending. L.A. Citybeat's staff was informed of their publication's demise last Fri., during a meeting with Southland Publishing, Inc.

Such a shame.  The alternative weekly was one of the few publications available to pick up most places and flip through during a lunch break or a stop at a cafe.

Will nothing save print media, besides private investors and the skeptical consideration of government intervention?  It's not like newsprint is an archaic drudgery of the past, even with getting all that ink on your hands.

Video is the new wave of media consumption for online publications and newspapers alike. Media consumers can also check out behind-the-scenes of photos shoots for glamazons in Vanity Fair, or funny moments from TV shows like Late Night with Jimmy Fallon distilled into video clips from a favored blogger's perspective.

Kumquats: An On-the-Go Treat

I have encountered the kumquat in the produce aisle at the grocery store.  This tiny orange fruit is great to munch on as a snack, or toss into a salad.  The best part is that the skin has more flavor than the actual fruit itself, which is way more convenient than fretting over the disposal of a banana peel at an inopportune moment.

Posted below is an informative how-to-video on eating a kumquat.  It is tempting to try and peel them, but to no avail.

Bulldog Beauty

I recently worked on a show for Animal Planet, Outrageous Animals.  I always thought that bulldogs had a certain je ne sais quoi, ferocious yet stalwart.  But after attending a bulldog beauty pageant here in L.A. at Long Beach's Marina Stadium, my horizons have been expanded.

Although they drool from a jaw that looks as if it could gnaw into a tree trunk resembling a dog bone, bulldogs also have an endearing quality of humility about them.  Especially the ones that sported a tutu or homemade dress by Grandma at the pageant.

And if watching over 100 bulldogs trot across a makeshift red carpet to cheers from their owners and fans doesn't convince you of this, nothing else will.